Edi Rama with NATO head: We are reviving the military industry, Rutte: Albania a strong ally
Prime Minister Edi Rama met this Wednesday in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance and focused on Albania's role in NATO, support for Ukraine, as well as future projects for the development of the defense industry.
Rutte praised our country's contribution to the Alliance and emphasized that Albania will reach the 2% level of defense spending this year.
"It is a great honor to have here my close friend, Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania. Albania is a strong ally. Albania will reach the 2% level of defense spending this year, which is a great commitment.
"Albania is developing its defense industry, including through the state-owned enterprise, which is important because we need a stronger defense industrial base throughout NATO. You are helping a lot with Ukraine. For example, through our command in Wiesbaden, where we have an Albanian delegation, but also through language training for fighter pilots and technicians," Rutte said.
He then highlighted the importance of the investments our country is making in the defense industry, as well as Albania's direct role in assisting Ukraine.
"You are doing a lot in terms of helping Ukraine. And outside of Albania, you are part of the ground forces in Latvia and Bulgaria. You are active in Kosovo through KFOR. So you are contributing much more than your size. And you are quite tall. But still, Albania is not the largest ally, but it is doing a lot. And so, I want to sincerely thank you for being such a strong ally. We know that NATO can always rely on Albania. And you know that Albania can always rely on NATO. So once again, thank you for coming to visit. Thank you for being such a close personal friend. And thank you for everything you are doing for NATO," Rutte emphasized.
For his part, Prime Minister Edi Rama thanked for the hospitality and underlined that Albania is determined to contribute even more to common Euro-Atlantic security.
"It is understandable that it is always a pleasure, not only because of our long friendship, but also because of the simple fact that there is always something to learn from you. And we are here to reconfirm everything you said and more. We want to do more. And now we are laying the foundations for the renaissance of our military industry," said Rama.
The head of government also spoke about one of the most important strategic projects that the country intends to implement in cooperation with NATO, the construction of a new military port in Porto Romano.
"We are very interested in discussing with you the further steps we can take to enable the construction of the new military port in Porto Romano. And of course, we are also here to talk together about how we can access the European Union's "SAFE" program, which, in terms of security, goes beyond the borders of EU member states and can also be useful for NATO countries in Europe," Rama continued.
At the end of his speech, Rama once again expressed his appreciation for Secretary General Rutte, describing him as an energetic leader and valuable partner.
"Thank you for your always warm hospitality. And I believe you are number one for the great energy you show so early in the morning. We are here to make the best of this," Rama concluded.
The meeting in Brussels ended with the mutual confirmation that Albania remains a reliable NATO partner, while the Alliance will continue to be a strong support for our country. Rutte was in Tirana in May, within the framework of the European Political Community Summit, which brought together European leaders.
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